SMTP or sendmail?

[Razasharp]

Are there any advantages or disadvantages for using either for Xenforo sending emails? (both from the same server)

Which do you use, and any specific reason why?

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

Are there any advantages or disadvantages for using either for Xenforo sending emails? (both from the same server)

Which do you use, and any specific reason why?

I moved to SMTP, because, for high volume, sendmail actually causes high server load. For a few emails here and there it is not a problem, but when it moves to dozens, then a top on the server was always revealing sendmail hogging up the CPU

 

[Razasharp]

I moved to SMTP, because, for high volume, sendmail actually causes high server load. For a few emails here and there it is not a problem, but when it moves to dozens, then a top on the server was always revealing sendmail hogging up the CPU

Was that SMTP on the same server Rigel?

This SO answer seems to suggest the opposite :?

SMTP is the protocol that is used by nearly all Internet hosts to send mail. This protocol is spoken by sendmail. Sendmail determines where to send your message and how.

Some mail programs (most, today) will connect directly to a mail server and speak SMTP to it. However, the "traditional" method - and arguable the better method - is to let sendmail do it.

There are two reasons for this: 1) nearly every program in UNIX that does what sendmail does is designed to be a drop-in replacement (this includes Postfix and Exim for instance); and 2) sendmail or its replacement was designed to handle mail and nothing else - by using sendmail you don't have to design a SMTP client.

The Mutt email client for UNIX is one email client that still refuses to talk SMTP directly to a mail server; a good (technical) description is on the wiki.

If you have a choice (on UNIX anyway) of talking SMTP directly or using sendmail, use sendmail - especially on servers.

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

Was that SMTP on the same server Rigel?

This SO answer seems to suggest the opposite :?

The SMTP was in an external server. That is usually the case, so it is more of an architecture thing of separating concerns rather than performance of smtp vs. sendmail

 

[Razasharp]

The SMTP was in an external server. That is usually the case, so it is more of an architecture thing of separating concerns rather than performance of smtp vs. sendmail

Ah right.

Yeah I think people usually use an external service for SMTP - I might look at mandrill at some point.

No pros or cons regarding being accepted by ISPs? Are they more likely to see emails sent by scripts as spam? That was my main concern.

 

[Rigel Kentaurus]

For SMTP as long as you have PTR records and DKIM configured, it is fine

More Info:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/04/so-youd-like-to-send-some-email-through-code.html

 

[dvsDave]

Ah right.

Yeah I think people usually use an external service for SMTP - I might look at mandrill at some point.

No pros or cons regarding being accepted by ISPs? Are they more likely to see emails sent by scripts as spam? That was my main concern.

As long as you have SPF and DKIM records properly setup in your domain CNAME records, you'll be fine. I really like mandrillapp.com combined with bd.mails.

Now, as to why on earth this subject has come up three times this week, I'll never know!

 

[Razasharp]

For SMTP as long as you have PTR records and DKIM configured, it is fine

More Info:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/04/so-youd-like-to-send-some-email-through-code.html

Thanks Rigel - check-auth@verifier.port25.com is a nice tool!

Reminded me to install DKIM

As long as you have SPF and DKIM records properly setup in your domain CNAME records, you'll be fine. I really like mandrillapp.com combined with bd.mails.

Now, as to why on earth this subject has come up three times this week, I'll never know!

Thanks - yours and Rigel's post reminded me to install DKIM

I like bd.mails too - would be nice if it worked with your own pop/smtp accounts too

 

[dvsDave]

I like bd.mails too - would be nice if it worked with your own pop/smtp accounts too

The power of mandrillapp is the bounce detection and API to feed that info back to the forum, most other SMTP systems don't have that sort of power. However, because you can setup sending domains and tracking sub-domains, it's really easy make the emails appear as they are coming from your own site and system.